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A Guide to the Purchase and Wearing of the Kilt and Other Highland Dress

by
David H. Strother
Secretary (2003-2005), Saint Andrew's Society of Washington, DC

Anyone who has ever attended our Society's annual Kirkin' o' the Tartan will surely agree with an observation made by a local birdwatcher: The Scots have got it right.  It's the male of the species that wears the brilliant plumage! With the coming of Fall and increasing numbers of opportunities for the wearing of Highland kit, it's timely to offer a general guide to the subject.  There's a lot of myth, mythology, and misunderstanding involved here, which can lead to mild apprehension and discomfort when one is new to the wearing of the kilt.

This informal guide is based on generally accepted practice, and is decidedly not a Mr. MacManners set of hard-and-fast rules because there is no official arbiter of such and also, because as my personal kiltmonger says, In today's world, look at what the lad is wearing, take off his pants and substitute a kilt, and that's what will look good on him. In some ways it might be considered an abbreviated version of the popular and widely-available book So You're Going to Wear the Kilt, which is recommended to anyone wanting to learn more on the subject.

At the outset, it should also be noted that what appears below is based on the author's personal reading, experience, and observations.  It is not meant to be authoritative, and is not to be construed as having the imprimatur of the St. Andrew's Society of Washington, DC.

The three basic levels of dress

There are three levels of Highland wear: day, evening, and dress.  Rather than to attempt a basic written explanation of these and the components thereof, I refer the reader to the excellent illustrated overview at the Web site of Kinloch Anderson.  Another good illustration of the components of day and formal wear is to be found at the site of Ben Wyvis Kilts

Generally speaking, day wear is worn before 5:00 p.m., and evening wear is worn to events taking place after 5:00 p.m.  Formal wear, usually the Prince Charlie jacket and weskit (but also military variants such as the Sherriffmuir and the Montrose), are worn on occasions where Highland formal is specified or encouraged.

What is a good starter outfit?

The basic unit is, of course, the kilt.  This should be in at least a medium, if not heavy, weight woolen material, since kilts made of lighter-weight cloth don't drape well and blow around too much for comfort and propriety.  The tartan should be of one's clan, and in either ancient or modern colors, though if your clan's hunting tartan or weathered variant appeals more to you, by all means go with it.  For those without a specific clan affiliation, one can choose the district tartan related to the area from which one's forbears came.  Then again, if you're a graduate of one of the service academies, or served in the US Marines, or were in the pipe band at VMI or The Citadel, there's a tartan for you.  For that matter, there are tartans specifically designed for Sikhs and Singhs, residents of many US states and some counties (e.g., Anne Arundel), and each of the Canadian provinces; the possibilities are numerous.

The best choice for one's first jacket is an Argyll in black barathea cloth, as it can be worn at any time of day on any occasion, including a Highland Formal event if one does not own a Prince Charlie.  When one considers buying a second jacket, the choice will be made with regard to whether one is involved more in daytime affairs or in formal evening events.  In the former case, an Argyll jacket in Harris tweed or some other material, in the latter a black Prince Charlie and weskit.  The former is also worn to evening events where Highland Day Wear is called for, such as our Society's member dinners, in which case tweed and barathea are equally appropriate.

Getting measured for your kilt

The Ben Wyvis website has a measurement page that's useful regardless of where you plan to purchase your kilt.  The person being measured needs to stand erect.....and stay that way.  The person taking the measurements must remember to pull the tape tight when doing the natural waist measurement (because the kilt has to be snug to stay up), and to ensure that the person being measured doesn't look down at what's going on when the C-L measurement for length is being taken (because that will shorten the C-L distance and result in a kilt that is too short).

Sources

Here again, it must be noted that the sources indicated are those with which the author has personal experience and can recommend without reservation.  As the reader will notice that most of these are in Scotland, so it should be emphasized that others have had excellent experiences with suppliers in the United States and Canada, as well as Scotland.  With regard to sources from which quality kit and accouterments can be purchased, it is hoped that this article will stimulate thought and constructive reaction in regard to the personal experience of Society members who have had good experiences and would like to share those with the readers of coming issues of the Whin & Thistle.  (The Whin & Thistle is a newsltter for members of the Saint Andrew's Society of Washington, DC.)

Sources with which the author has personal experience

My personal kiltmonger is Dennis Booth, whose shop A' the Best Fae Scotland was located at the foot of the Royal Mile until the new Parliament started going up across the street and his landlord's rental expectations went up out of sight.  Dennis has now removed to Galashiels, and is doing fine trading as The Kilt Shop. [Note: Dennis sold his Edinburgh business to another person, who is trading under the name A' the Best Fae Scotland; you'll need to work with him in Galashiels to get his personal attention and quality work.].  Those of you who have admired in particular my hillwalker kilt in the Weathered Mackay tartan (appropriate for a weathered Mackay) and the green Sherriffmuir jacket and vest which I've worn to the Tartan Ball and Burns Night on several occasions, will have seen the quality of Dennis' work.

For various reasons, my kilt in the Ancient Mackay was made....in less than 24 hours!....by Valerie Allan of Ben Wyvis Kilts, Station Square, Inverness, and I purchased my black ghillie brogues there as well.

My sporrans, belts, and leather water carrier come from Craigie Originals, and a number of Society members have been pleased with their purchases there as well.  [Requisite disclosure notice: the firm was founded by a childhood friend of mine, Ron Helin, lately deceased.  His wife Susan continues the business, and donated to the Silent Auction at last year's St. Andrew's Society's Tartan Ball a silver fox sporran with cantle...and is again donating one to the 2004 Tartan Ball Auction.]

For those very informal occasions when you'd just as soon avoid getting mud, fermented malt beverage, or other stains on your kilt, the Edinburgh firm of Kinloch Anderson has created the breacan, an off-the-peg kilted garment that suits the purpose beautifully and costs about half the price of a regular kilt.  It's also a bit lighter than a regular kilt, and therefore more comfortable in our local tropical weather.  The firm is owned by Douglas Kinloch Anderson, an honorary member of our Society.  He and his wife (and business partner) Deirdre have donated an attractive tartan cashmere scarf to this year's Tartan Ball Silent Auction.

Well-regarded local sources

Society member David McConnell, a familiar friendly face at Society events and at local games and festivals, specializes in sporrans of leather and fur, and a wide range of other leather items.  The website for The Clan Leatherworks.

The Scottish Merchant, located at 215 King Street in Old Town Alexandria, provides everything you could need for sale, and everything except kilt hose (health regulations, you know) for hire.  Ask for Doris, a good friend of our Society.

Answers to frequently-asked questions

Here, in Q and A form, are questions often raised and the answers based on generally observed guidelines.  Again, it is important to take into account that these are guidelines, and that there is no authoritative arbiter of them......and no enforcement agency.

Q:  When is the Prince Charlie jacket and weskit worn? A:  This ensemble is worn for formal evening events, or special daytime ceremonies such as weddings.  Think about when and where you'd wear a tux, and do the same.  The jacket is not worn without the weskit, and a belt is not worn, as a shiny buckle peeking out below the weskit isn't particularly attractive.

Q:  Is it appropriate to wear my military decorations, commonly known as gongs, on my Highland jackets? A:  It is appropriate to wear them on formal occasions on a Prince Charlie jacket, which is the Highland equivalent to military mess dress.

Q:  What about wearing a number of other pins and badges? A:  While a collection of pins and badges looks great on a Tyrolean hat, or some form of cap, it's rather unsightly to clutter one's lapels with an assortment.  One pin, worn on the left lapel, is in good taste for day, evening, and formal wear.

Q:  Is there a standard number of inches in which to display my bonny knees between my kilt and the top of my kilt hose? A:  Kiltmakers differ only slightly on this point, recommending not more than four nor less than three inches.

Q:Speaking of kilt hose, when is it appropriate for me to wear white? A:For day wear, the tradition is that only pipers wear white; other gentlemen wear any color except white.  For evening wear, white or tartan matching one's kilt is appropriate.

Q:When I'm wearing the kilt, and am going to wear a tie, is it ok to wear one in my tartan? A:When one is wearing the kilt, the preference is for a plain tie suitable to the colors of one's tartan. A club tie or regimental, such as our Society's ties, is also appropriate.  There is a generally accepted practice of no tartan above the waist when one is wearing the kilt.

Q:What kind of sgain dubh is appropriate under what circumstances? A:  A simple sgain dubh can be worn on any occasion.  A sgain dubh with a cairngorm (jewel-like stone) is generally not worn during the day.  Equally, a sgain dubh with a large horn handle is generally not worn in the evening.

Q:  When are, and when aren't, silver buckles and sporrans with silver cantles worn? A:  The general rule is the silver isn't worn before 5:00 p.m., and is preferred afterwards.

Q:  I got mud, fermented malt beverage, or something worse on my kilt.  What do I do now? A:  Call Doris at The Scottish Merchant and she'll refer you to the local cleaner who handles all their rental kilts and jackets.

....and most important of all....

While keeping these general guidelines in mind when selecting and wearing your Highland gear, remember that the choice is ultimately yours.  Wear your kilt and kit with confidence and pride in this most manly display of your Scottish heritage.

Original Copyright by David H. Strother.  Used by permission of the author.  All rights reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission of the author.

The Capital Scot continues to be a noncommercial site.  The references to vendors in this article are those of the author, who has clearly had success with them.  They are included here by way of the author's friendly advice.  They are not endorsed by this site.

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